By Shanborlang Mawrie, CSC –
Readings: Gen 32: 23-33; Mt 9: 32-38
Jesus was going around the villages to preach and to teach the people about the kingdom of God and to heal different kinds of sickness of the people. The crowd came to follow Jesus just like a sheep without a shepherd. Therefore, Jesus was moved with pity for his own even though he knew their hearts. The crowd came to meet Jesus with different intentions, some to listen to his teaching, some of them came in order to be cured of various types of sickness, others just follow the crowd without any intention, and another group followed him to trap Jesus.
The mindsets of the people of the present time are not different from the people of the time of Jesus. But still, his heart which is full of love for his own like a shepherd for the sheep moved with pity from one generation to the next. Jesus is continuing his mission by calling us to see the needs of the people and to heal all kinds of diseases and illness. He is calling us to be with the people and for the people as their neighbour, not their servant.
The servant does the work whatever given by the master whereas the neighbour knows the difficulties and the problems of his or her own neighbour. To be the neighbour for others demand a lot of self-sacrifices but for this purpose, we are called, no matter what consequences we may have to face.
Being human, some time we put the boundaries for ourselves using many reasons in doing his mission. But for Jesus no matter how ordinary we may seem to ourselves, he has only a heart of love like a shepherd for his flock. That kind of love Jesus is demanding from us to respond to his call to love, serve and preach the kingdom of God.